On a sweltering August morning in 2025, New York City Mayor Eric Adams strode into City Hall under the glare of television cameras and a cloud of suspicion. His administration, already battered by months of scandal, now faced its most serious test yet: two of his closest aides, Jesse Hamilton and Ingrid Lewis-Martin, had just been indicted on bribery and conspiracy charges, as reported by WABC and The New York Times. The impact was immediate and undeniable, reverberating through the city’s political class and raising questions about the mayor’s judgment, the future of his administration, and the very culture of power at City Hall.
Adams, who has never been one to shy away from a fight, called a nearly 30-minute press conference at City Hall on August 22, 2025, standing firm in his intent to remain mayor and run for a second term. "We've come too far to go backwards. That is not going to happen. I'm never going to quit on the City of New York. We've worked too hard to get here," he declared, his voice resolute as he faced a skeptical press corps. Despite trailing in the polls behind Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, former Governor Andrew Cuomo, and Republican Curtis Sliwa, Adams insisted, “Hell no. That cannot happen,” when asked if he would consider stepping aside. According to The New York Times, he used the occasion to both praise his indicted allies and attack the credentials of his rivals, arguing that none were equipped to lead New York through its current challenges.
The scandal’s latest chapter began with a bizarre twist: Winnie Greco, Adams’ former director of Asian affairs and a longtime confidante, was caught on camera handing a political reporter, Katie Horan, an envelope of cash concealed inside an empty potato chip bag. The envelope reportedly contained a $100 bill and several $20 bills, according to the New York Post and the Tampa Free Press. When confronted, Greco claimed the cash was a “birthday gift,” explaining, “I didn’t know how much in my envelope because it’s my birthday gift, that’s Chinese culture. Somebody give me my birthday gift, I made big mistake. I’m so sorry. Talk to my lawyer.” Her explanation, meant to diffuse suspicion, only added fuel to the fire, as critics and observers questioned both the appropriateness and legality of the exchange.
This was not Greco’s first brush with controversy. In February 2024, federal investigators raided her home as part of a broader probe into Adams’ connections with the Turkish government and possible Chinese government interference in the 2021 mayoral race. The mayor himself had faced a federal indictment in September 2024 on charges of bribery, wire fraud, and receiving illegal campaign donations. While the Trump administration’s Justice Department ultimately dismissed those charges in April 2025, the shadow of a possible quid pro quo has hung over Adams’ tenure ever since, as reported by The New York Times. The allegations, and the perception that Adams struck a deal to have them dropped, have eroded his standing among city Democrats and contributed to his decision to run as an independent after losing the Democratic primary to Mamdani.
As the scandal unfolded, Adams’ response was a blend of defiance and loyalty. He refused to distance himself from his indicted associates, offering public support and calling for due process. “My prayers are with Ingrid, and I wish her the best. And throughout the number of years that I have known her, I've found her to be a hardworking, dedicated member of city government for over 40 years. And with Jesse Hamilton, former state senator, former employee here, I wish him the best as well,” Adams said, according to WABC. He went further at his press conference, describing Lewis-Martin as “like a sister” and expressing confidence in her character. “I know her son, and I know her, and I know her heart,” he insisted, even as prosecutors detailed the bribery charges against her.
Adams’ defense of his inner circle drew sharp criticism from his opponents. Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee and campaign frontrunner, did not mince words: “That Adams continued to associate himself with Winnie Greco, with Ingrid, after so many clear examples of their corruption. It showcases what he is willing to sacrifice, and that is the public in order to protect those that he knows personally. I mean, these are the same names we have read in the papers for months.” At a separate news conference near the former Tammany Hall, Mamdani accused Adams of embodying “the continued legacy of corruption in this city’s politics,” according to The New York Times. Former Governor Cuomo, running as an independent, took a theatrical approach—handing out bags of potato chips to reporters and declaring Adams unelectable. “It plays to the worst impression that you could have,” Cuomo said, adding, “It feeds the worst cynicism.”
Even Adams’ one-time allies expressed doubt about his political future. Tom Allon, a media executive who once supported the mayor, told The New York Times, “He was dead in the water before Ingrid and Winnie, so it’s hard to see him in the next few months pull himself out of this. It feels like the final nail in his coffin.” The mayor’s poll numbers have reflected this grim outlook, with Adams lagging behind Mamdani, Cuomo, and Sliwa. The weight of scandal has dogged his administration, overshadowing his efforts to tout achievements on crime reduction and affordable housing.
Adams, for his part, has tried to turn the tables on his critics, questioning their experience and judgment. He dismissed Mamdani as lacking the background necessary to govern and criticized Cuomo’s handling of nursing home deaths during the pandemic. At his press conference, Adams used props—placing whistles on reporters’ chairs, which he said were for female journalists to call for help if interviewing Cuomo, referencing the former governor’s history of sexual harassment allegations (which Cuomo denies). Cuomo’s spokesman, Rich Azzopardi, fired back, quipping that the whistles “would get a lot more use if they were blown every time there was a new Eric Adams corruption alert.”
For many New Yorkers, the scandals swirling around City Hall have become almost surreal. The image of a mayoral aide passing cash in a potato chip bag is as memorable as it is troubling, evoking the city’s long history of political intrigue and backroom deals. The references to Tammany Hall and the circus-like atmosphere described by Mamdani only drive home the sense that the city is reliving old patterns of power and impropriety. Yet Adams remains defiant, insisting on his dedication to the city. “I've committed my life to this city as a police officer, as a state senator, as the borough president, and now as your mayor. And we have not always gotten it right, but we have never stopped being dedicated to the people of this city. And I'm going to continue to do that as long as you allow me to do so,” Adams said, according to WABC.
As the November election approaches, the fate of Eric Adams’ mayoralty hangs in the balance. The scandals have eroded public trust and provided ample ammunition for his rivals, but Adams’ resilience—and his willingness to stand by his embattled allies—suggests that the contest for City Hall will be as unpredictable as ever. For now, New Yorkers are left to watch, wait, and wonder what new twist might emerge next in this ongoing political drama.
